In the month of August, pagans around the world engage in various celebrations to honor nature and the changing seasons. These celebrations have deep roots in ancient pagan traditions and are still practiced today by many who follow pagan beliefs. One of the main pagan celebrations in August is Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh. Lammas marks the beginning of the harvest season and is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the Earth. It is a time to gather and share the first fruits of the harvest, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables. During Lammas, pagans often hold ceremonies and rituals to honor the harvest goddess and give thanks for the blessings of nature.
Descendants of Salem Witch Trial victims try to clear names of wrongly accused women
Four centuries on from a series of major injustices, the descendants of victims involved in the Salem Witch Trials hope to clear their name.
The trials in Colonial Massachusetts saw women accused of being witches, a product of the unfounded superstitions of the time that included fervent religion and endemic misogyny. Men and children also became victims by mere association.
Around 25 people, mostly women, were sentenced to death and killed over the course of 1692 to 1693 alone and years of suspicion, accusation and deaths preceded the horrific flurry of unjust sentences. The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project is made up of descendants of victims, along with history buffs, and hopes to take a petition to the Statehouse.
The group's leader, Josh Hutchinson said it is "It’s important that we correct the injustices of the past" and that "We’d like an apology for all of the accused or indicted or arrested." Hundreds of individuals were accused of witchcraft in what would become the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1638 and 1693.
The Peabody Essex Museum described the trials as the "defining example of intolerance and injustice in American history," but there is perhaps less than what is deserved in remembrance of the victims today. Among those forgotten are five women hanged for witchcraft in Boston between 1648 and 1688.
So what were the trials and who were the people accused?
Salem victims
Among the victims was Martha Corey, hanged in 1692 after being accused of being a witch. Her husband defended her and was also put to death.
Her story was similar to many others, including that of Ann Hibbins, sister-in-law to Massachusetts Gov. Richard Bellingham. She was executed in 1656, as was Goodwife Ann Glover, hanged in Boston in 1688.
Glover's death is one case that is remembered with a plaque, that lies on a Catholic Church in Boston's North End neighborhood.
The fun of Halloween centers of Salem, but it gained notoriety for its brutal treatment of 'witches' (
Image:In one particular case, the Towne sisters from Topsfield, Massachusetts, were hanged in 1692. Rebecca Nurse - the sisters' maiden name was Towne - was nearly deaf and this may have prevented her from being able to defend herself properly in court. The jury returned a not guilty verdict on Rebecca, but the judges asked them to reverse it - sister Mary was also put to death, while the final sibling Sarah was inexplicably released.
The death of Bridget Bishop also shows the power of the unfounded suspicion of the time. The Peabody Essex Museum said "multiple accusers claimed Bishop’s specter was responsible for damages and afflictions" and that "testimonies were the result of longstanding suspicions or misattributed gossip about Sarah Bishop," a different person added.
Justice
Descendants of Massachusetts' accused continue to try and work to make sure every victim is exonerated. The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project already successfully spearheaded a similar effort in Connecticut.
The state is the home of the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies in 1647 - Alse Young. The last witchcraft trial in Connecticut happened in 1697 and ended with the charges being dismissed.
In May, Connecticut state senators in May voted by 34-1 to absolve 12 women and men convicted of witchcraft - 11 of whom were executed - more than 370 years ago and apologize for the "miscarriage of justice" that occurred over a dark 15-year-period of the state’s colonial history.
Chief genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, David Allen Lambert, said: "We can’t change history but maybe we can send the accused an apology. It kind of closes the chapter in a way." His 10th great-grandmother, Mary Perkins Bradbury, was among the accused who was supposed to be hanged in 1692 in Salem but escaped execution.
Salem Witch Trial Victims
Reflection: Looking out the window at Rebecca Nurse's home, one of the Salem Witch Trial victims. I wonder how many times she & her family did the same during the harrowing Witchcraft Hysteria that took her life.
‘Amen, Amen. A false tongue will never make a guilty person.’
– Susannah Martin, hanged July 19th, 1692
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- By Terri Wheat
- September 26, 2019
The hangings were not an easy, quick affair. There were no calculations of how long the rope, no breaking of the neck for a quick, merciful death. Instead, hands & legs bound, the victims strangled & writhed at the end of a rope. Convicted of witchcraft, the victims were denied a Christian burial and thrown into the rock crevices near the execution site. The families were said to have returned at night to retrieve their loved ones bodies from the pile, and buried them, unmarked, near home. Two are buried at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in nearby Danvers. The rest of the bodies of the Salem Witch Trial victims remain unfound.
This page honors, foremost, those who died, but Salem’s Witch Trials had many more victims than the 25 who lost their life. Over 200 stood accused, loved ones ripped away to a dungeon-like jail coated with filth & lice. Packed in, men, women & children alike, with no bathrooms, no changing rooms, no hint of privacy. Sometimes the small cells & flood of accused left standing room only, until they spilled over into jails of nearby towns. Cells of stone & dirt, stifling in summer, freezing in winter bred sickness & misery. Humiliated, practically starved, sometimes tortured to reveal ‘the truth’. Over 40 of the accused ‘confessed’, a desperate attempt to save their lives. Their families, struggling with loss and one less working adult, were forced to find the money to pay for their imprisonment. They paid for the shackles, firewood, food, straw bedding, clothing, even the fees for their loved one’s executions. One family were not given their dead mother’s body, until they could pay her jail keep. Personal property of the accused was confiscated, stolen from their struggling families at home. They took family livestock, food supplies, property, furniture, jewelry, money. (This would have only affected men and unmarried & widowed women because a married woman couldn’t own property, her husband owned everything.) The 200 jailed, mothers, children, fathers, grandparents, waited their turn for a trial or the gallows. Barely more than kept alive, with only the food, warmth & medicine their family could afford.
Children orphaned, husbands & wives widowed, families broken & wounded forever. Even for the 175 who made it back home, the trauma could not be undone. A community that suffered in shame for 300 years for things they didn’t do and couldn’t change. The victims are far beyond what we can count. All paid a high price, 25 with their life. If it looks long to read, such is the body count of the Salem Witch Hunts.
During Lammas, pagans often hold ceremonies and rituals to honor the harvest goddess and give thanks for the blessings of nature. These rituals may involve the making of bread, a symbol of sustenance and nourishment. The bread is baked and shared with the community, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of sharing resources.
Found Guilty & Hanged, Salem 1692:
Another important pagan celebration in August is the festival of Hecate. Hecate is a goddess associated with magic, crossroads, and the underworld. During this festival, pagans pay homage to Hecate and seek her guidance and protection. Hecate is often depicted as a triple goddess, embodying the maiden, mother, and crone aspects. This festival is a time to honor her wisdom and transformative power. Pagans may perform divination rituals, light candles, and offer prayers or offerings to Hecate. Overall, pagan celebrations in August are a time to connect with the natural world and honor the cycles of life and death. They provide an opportunity for pagans to express gratitude for the bountiful gifts of the Earth and seek spiritual guidance from their deities. These celebrations are a meaningful way for pagans to deepen their connection to nature and their pagan beliefs..
Reviews for "The Symbols and Traditions of August Pagan Celebrations"
1. Jennifer - 2 stars
I attended the August pagan celebrations out of curiosity, but I was disappointed with the whole experience. The event felt disorganized and lacked any coherent structure. It seemed like people were just randomly doing things without any clear purpose. Additionally, the rituals that took place didn't resonate with me at all. I left feeling unfulfilled and underwhelmed.
2. Mark - 1 star
I had heard so much about the August pagan celebrations and was excited to see what it was all about. However, I found the whole event to be a complete waste of time. The organizers seemed more focused on creating a spectacle rather than fostering a meaningful spiritual experience. The rituals felt forced and impersonal, lacking any genuine connection with the participants. I left feeling like I had witnessed a performance rather than engaging in a sacred celebration.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
Attending the August pagan celebrations was not what I expected. There was a lack of inclusivity and diversity among the participants, which made me feel uncomfortable. In addition, the event felt more like a commercial gathering than a true pagan celebration. It seemed that vendors were prioritized over the spiritual aspects of the gathering. The energy was not genuine, and the whole experience left me feeling disconnected and dissatisfied.